18 December 2014

South Korean Illustrator Gives Western Fairytales A Refreshing Oriental Makeover

The Little Mermaid

Your mental images of the various characters from fairytales such as Snow White, The Little Mermaid and The Frog Prince would most probably be shaped by the famous Disney animated films that are based on them.

South Korean illustrator Na Young Wu, who is known as Obsidian on Twitter, has given these beloved characters unexpected but refreshing makeovers by drawing them in the Korean “manhwa” style.

The results are delightful blends of the East and the West—not only are the characters illustrated to look Korean, but they also don traditional Korean costumes and hairstyles.

So far, the illustrator has reimagined several popular tales, including Beauty and the Beast and Alice in Wonderland—she has also depicted Elsa of Frozen in a Korean “hanbok”.

View more of her creative visual reinterpretations of Western fairytales here, or follow her on Twitter to keep up with her work.